Debye–Waller factors of CuBr by powder neutron diffraction at 295 K

Zinc blende structures are of interest because of their semiconducting properties. Lattice dynamical properties of copper halides which belong to this class of structures have recently been studied. A powder neutron diffraction study of the Debye-Waller factors of the cubic (zinc blende) γ phase of CuBr is reported here. The diffraction pattern was obtained on the high-resolution diffractometer PANDA installed at the PLUTO reactor, Harwell. A neutron wavelength of 1.524 Å was used in the experiment. The B factors determined were B_Cu = 2.85 ± 0.33 and B_Br = 2.71 ± 0.33 Ų. A mean value = Σ m_iB_i/Σ m_i = 2.77 Ų, i = Cu, Br, gives the corresponding Debye temperature of 131 ± 8 K.